Landscaping
At Robson Landscaping we love to transform gardens into spaces that can be enjoyed.
We make sure that customers receive the highest possible service before, during and after work has been completed.
We always use the best materials available, work to tight timescales and provide fixed quotes.
After years of experience we have made our Landscaping process very simple and effective.
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Initial site visit to discuss options. This visit usually lasts around an hour and covers, what the customer would like to use the garden for, the budget available, garden topography, sunlight across the site, drainage and preferred materials.
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A detailed fixed quote is then sent by email showing a breakdown of materials and labour with timescales. This provides prospective customers with all the information required to compare our quote with our competitors. The detail in our quotes ensures that customers know exactly what is being quoted for and allows any misunderstandings to be ironed out before work commences. For more complex landscaping projects a 3D drawing will also be sent along with the quote.
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No follow up calls or emails. At no point in our communication with prospective customers do we use pressure selling techniques.
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If a customer decides to employ us we provide a start and estimated completion date. These are subject to weather and the smooth running of prior jobs.
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Before starting a job we set up orders with builders merchants so that customers can pay for materials directly. We ensure that customers receive the very best trade prices and know exactly what they are paying for. During larger jobs we usually pay for materials as required so as to not inconvenience customers.
Extension Landscaping
Having an extension built is an excellent opportunity to landscape the surrounding garden area. The slideshow to the left shows a job which involved building a large deck adjacent to a newly constructed extension. The deck surroundings were then landscaped with railway sleepers walls, steps, paths, turf and bark beds. This created a low maintenance outdoor entertaining space which our customers now enjoy most of the year round.
Paving Preparation
As a company we are firm believers in putting a huge amount of effort into the preparation stage of every landscaping job we do. This is particularly important when laying paving.
When preparing paving bases we dig out all sub soil with high moisture content. This usually involves digging to a depth of at least 150mm. We then replace this with aggregate and compact to create a firm base ready for slabs.
We make sure that all paving installations have sufficient drainage solutions by way of correct run offs away from buildings and into drains.
Concrete Paving
Twenty years ago the choice of concrete paving was limited to grey 2x2 and 3x2 slabs and a select range of coloured pavers. Nowadays there are hundreds of different styles, colour and textures of concrete paving from which to choose from.
Concrete paving is usually priced reasonably making it a popular choice for many people looking to landscape their garden.
Depending on the thickness and tensile strength of the concrete slabs there are two main ways to lay concrete paving. For thicker slabs a screeded dry bed of sharp sand is the quickest and most cost effective method. The alternative is to use a full bed of wet mortar. As a rule slabs under 30mm should always be laid on a full wet mortar bed but for thicker slabs either a wet or dry bed is optional.
The pictures to the left show the possibilities for different laying styles. The top picture shows a riven slabbed patio constructed using individual wet mortar beds for each slab. The picture below shows textured concrete paving laid on a dry bed of sharp sand. In this picture the curves were achieved by set out flexible pipes and cutting each slab to the correct angle.
Slate Paving
Slate paving while sometimes tricky to cut and lay gives a great finished look. Slate is a hard wearing material which means it easily power washed clean and is more stain resistant than concrete paving. As the product is natural customers should expect to see a rustic finish meaning each slate patio will be unique in texture and appearance.
Sandstone Paving
It is important when choosing sandstone paving to check the colour, texture and thickness of the slabs before ordering. As such we always get samples delivered to customers before work commences as the finished look can be very different from that found in magazines or websites.
Due to the porous nature of sandstone and the potential for staining we wash and treat all sandstone paving with a sealant before laying commences. We also use a polymeric pointing mixture to further reduce the chance of staining.
Porcelain Paving
This year we had the privilege to lay a large porcelain patio for one of our customers. Due to the cost of the paving it was a rare chance to lay such a large procelain patio but we are glad we did as the finished product was stunning.
Porcelain paving is in our opinion the most difficult of all the types of slabs to lay. Each slab has to be painted with a bonding agent laid on a full wet bed of mortar. Due to the machined perfection of the paving there is very little room for error requiring thorough preparation, setting out and patience when bedding each slab.
Artificial Lawns
In recent years artificial grass has improved hugely as a landscaping product. It has now become very popular with cutomers who are parents and want an outdoor space that can be used by kids all year round without mud and mess.
Artificial lawns are also great for garden areas with a lot of shade or drainage problems.
We have laid a number of artificial lawns for customers and have developed installation techniques taken from industry best practice. As with paving 90% of the effort that goes into getting a great finish is the base preparation.
Railway sleeper walls and raised beds
At Robson Landscaping we love building structures from newly cut railway sleepers. Over the years we have built many raised beds and walls from railway sleepers and have developed techniques and strategies when working with such large sections of timber.
Gordon studied civil engineering at university which gives him the knowledge to design and build structures that some landscapers might shy away from.
Whether it is an efficiently designed raised bed that you want to be able to weed without bending over or a large retaining wall and staircase to allow a flat garden area to be extended we are always keen to take up the challenge.
Driveway refurbishment
When we are asked to fix driveways we understand that most problems arise because slabs have been laid on a water saturated base.
In order to fix this, we dig down until we reach a solid sub layer. We then lay aggregate and compact it to a pressure greater than that exerted by a large car. As we add layers of aggregate and sand we compact at each stage to remove air voids and stiffen the base.
The picture to the left shows the work we carried out on a customer's driveway. The original slabs were cleaned and reused and a membrane was laid below the stones to stop weeds.